Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today with gratitude as the re-elected member for Bennelong. Of course, I would like to start by saying thank you to all those who live in Bennelong for putting their trust in me, some for the first time and some for multiple times. I've had a few goes around in local government, I ran for state government once, and now I'm re-elected as the federal member. So a big thank you to the people who re-elected me. I don't take this win for granted. It's an absolute honour to be re-elected to represent my home in this place, and I'll keep working every day to make that trust count.

This election marks something historic: for the first time, a Labor member was re-elected in Bennelong. That's not just a personal milestone; I think it's a reflection of something bigger. It was a vote of confidence in the kind of politics that puts communities at the centre of the decision-making process. I want to thank my family: my kids—Harry, Madeline and Amelie—and, of course, my wonderful partner, Jo, and her kids, Will and Alfie. They put up with the odd hours, the time away and the fact that everyone in Bennelong owns a little bit of me. It's a job that truly belongs to the people of Bennelong. I'm incredibly lucky to have my family in this corner. To my parents: thank you for teaching me the values that brought me to this place—fairness, hard work and compassion.

To my campaign team and electorate staff—Michael, Maddy, Oliver, Daniel, James, Karma, Angela, Bailey, Katie, Callan, Enzo, Garth and Pauline—and to the local Labor branches of Gladesville, Lane Cove, Ryde, Eastwood, Hunters Hill, Willoughby-Castlecrag, Epping and Macquarie Park: a huge thank you. Some of those branches have a Labor member representing them for the first time in history. In fact, Hunters Hill, a foundation branch of the Labor Party, way back in the late 1890s, has a Labor MP for the first time. I'm particularly excited that I'm back in this place.

There were so many volunteers and champions that got us over the line. In particular, a huge thank you to Racheal, Linda, Lyndal, Cathy and Ethan. These people, in particular, helped us coordinate our volunteers to walk the streets, knock on the doors and listen to locals. They and plenty of others—too many to name—helped me run a campaign smoothly and professionally and get the results. Every one of us in this chamber knows that we don't do this alone.

I come to this place shaped by my community, my home and by the role I played in it. Before federal politics, I served as a councillor and the mayor of Ryde for a decade. That time taught me something simple but powerful: the best politics start close to home. It's not about shouting the loudest or promising the world; it's about solving day-to-day problems, listening, showing up and making people's lives a little bit easier, fairer and more secure. People don't always have to agree with you, but they want to know that you care and that you're accessible. That's the approach I've taken my entire career. As councillor, I turned up; as mayor, I delivered; and now, as the member for Bennelong, I'll continue to do both.

This is the type of representation that every community deserves. Granted, we all do it a bit differently. The minister there at the front desk runs marathons. It's not something I'm proposing to do, but it's about turning up and connecting with your community. I'm determined to continue to do that and deliver for Bennelong. It's not just a job but a relationship that we have with our community built on trust, visibility and real connection. Whether it's attending cultural festivals in Macquarie Park, eating out in Rowe Street, Eastwood, visiting schools in Lane Cove, or talking about housing and skills with students in Meadowbank, I make it my job to listen first and then act, because being present and listening is how you build trust. It's how you understand what's actually happening in people's lives. Representation doesn't just happen here in Canberra; it happens in these everyday conversations we have on doorsteps, in classrooms, on main streets, at the shopping centre—like when I get pulled up and asked a few questions in Coles—and at community centres as well. That's where you hear what's really going on, and that's where the work really starts.

That local-first mindset has only grown stronger in my time as a federal MP. I've now seen from an even closer perspective how national decisions land in real households. I've seen the cracks people fall through, and I've seen how good representation—compassionate, accountable and community focused—can make a real difference. That's the kind of representation I've worked really hard to deliver—visible, practical and grounded in community, whether it's here in the chamber or out on the streets chatting to people who just turn up to have their say. I've tried to make sure that people in Bennelong feel seen, heard and supported.

Over this past term—and now into this one—I've carried that approach into everything I've done. It's shaped how I advocate to the government and within it, and I'm proud that that's led to real outcomes and tangible improvements in people's lives. That work has obviously taken different forms. Sometimes it's been backing in national reforms in this chamber, and sometimes it's been pushing for local priorities back home, even if they're not all within my responsibility. A lot of people just want to talk to a politician to make sure they're heard and to make sure that their voice goes to the right place. Be it a state issue or a local issue, I've always tried to help people, and I've always tried to be their voice. My focus has always stayed the same: getting things done for the people I represent.

Over the term, the Albanese Labor government has made real progress, and I've worked hard to make sure Bennelong sees the benefit of that work. In health care, we delivered the single largest investment in Medicare's history to strengthen the system, which will mean more than 1.8 million extra bulk-billed visits in Sydney, including at clinics in Bennelong. It'll mean GP practices are better supported and more accessible, and it'll mean families will spend less to see a doctor. That's a good thing. We've made medicines cheaper, cutting the maximum PBS co-payment from $42.50, and it will go down all the way to $25 from 1 January, the same price it was in 2004. If we had done nothing, that price would be $50 now, but it will be $25 from 1 January, the lowest level in nearly two decades. That's already saved people in Bennelong more than $8.6 million in real savings to the household budget. We've introduced 60-day dispensing to halve the trips to pharmacies and doctors for people on long-term medications as well.

Our urgent care clinics have been rolling out. There's one in Top Ryde and one on its way in Chatswood. These clinics mean families can get urgent bulk-billed treatment after hours without having to wait hours at an emergency department. We've committed to delivering a Medicare mental health centre right in the heart of my electorate, in Ryde, because access to mental health care should be local, affordable and immediate, not something that people put off or go without. In cost-of-living relief, every household received an energy rebate, and 92,000 local taxpayers will get a tax cut under Labor's top-up tax cuts. We've made child care cheaper, delivered HECS relief and made free TAFE permanent so people can train and retrain, get a better job, earn more money and get ahead, not be left behind.

We have backed serious local investment in Bennelong, with more than $330 million delivered in the last term into our electorate for roads, schools, parks, sporting facilities, community groups and really-big-ticket infrastructure—big projects—and the quiet ones: the things people see everyday and the ones that keep our neighbourhood and our community groups running behind the scenes.

I'm so proud of what we've achieved together, but I'm even more focused on what comes next. In this term, I'll keep doing what I've always done—listening to the people of Bennelong, taking their concerns seriously and working hard here in this place, publicly and behind the scenes, to deliver for them.

I'll be working really hard to deliver our urgent care clinic in Chatswood and our mental health centre in Ryde and to get those up and running as soon as possible. Critical investments in people's wellbeing are vitally needed in our community, particularly in mental health. They'll help take pressure off our hospitals whilst making care easier to access close to home.

Housing, of course, is a huge priority for this government, and you heard a lot of that today in this place. Many people in Bennelong are feeling the squeeze. Rents are high, leases are insecure or not long enough, and affordable options are few and far between. I'll keep working with my colleagues in government to deliver on our housing agenda, to make it easier to buy and better to rent and to build more homes where they're needed the most. That means more social and affordable housing in our community, and it means national action to lower deposits and mortgages, strengthen renters' rights and unlock housing supply.

On climate, it'll be no surprise that I'll continue to be a strong voice for action, pushing our own government to do better, because cutting emissions isn't just good policy; it's good for household budgets too. I'll keep supporting practical measures that make it easier for people to electrify their homes, to access solar, to improve insulation and to switch to clean energy transport. There's so much to do in this space, particularly for renters and those who live in strata to get access to renewable energy technology. All of those issues are held at the state level, but there's a role for the federal government to play there to get standards across the system so that renters can access renewable energy as well. I'll keep on pushing for strong local voices to be heard on the national environmental reforms so that the work we do here translates into better outcomes in communities on the ground.

And I intend to work hard to deliver all of the commitments made to my community during the election and before it. That includes our upgrades to Christie Park—$1.9 million for five synthetic futsal courts—and the wonderful facility upgrades at Boronia Park, with a battery, solar panels, and upgraded electrics and lighting. There's arts and culture funding in Lane Cove and continued investment in the roads, schools, community groups, services and public spaces that make Bennelong such a wonderful place to live.

Politics needs to serve people, and I do this job because I genuinely like helping people—fixing a problem or making someone's life that little bit better, making things a little bit easier. It's what makes me tick and why I put up with all the rubbish that sometimes comes along with this role. I say this to everyone in Bennelong: you don't have to vote for me to get help from me. You don't have to agree with me for me to stand up for you. If you need my support, I'll always do my best to hear you and help where I can. My job is to represent everyone in Bennelong, and that's what I'll do every day. I'm proud of what we've achieved together, but I'm even more determined about what comes next—because I'll keep showing up, I'll keep listening and I'll keep pushing the government to deliver outcomes that matter. Bennelong deserves nothing less, and I'll keep doing everything I can to deliver on that promise.

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